1 Dead, 4 Others Hospitalized After Head-On Highway Crash Involving School Bus Returning from Football Game in Tennessee

0A school bus (stock image)Credit: GETTYTh bus was carrying 28 student athletes and staff from Abingdon High School in Virginia, according to school district officials and local mediaNEED TO KNOWA two-vehicle collision on Tennessee State Route 91 left one person dead and four others injured on Oct. 2

A Subaru struck a school bus carrying 28 Abingdon High School students and staff who were returning to Virginia after a football game

The driver of the Subaru, which struck the bus head-on, died at the scene of the collision

One person is dead and multiple others are injured following a collision — involving a school bus that was returning home after a football game — on a Tennessee highway.

A school bus carrying 28 passengers collided with another vehicle, a 2013 Subaru Impreza, on Tennessee State Route 91 in Johnson County on the evening of Friday, Oct. 2, according to information shared by local media, authorities and school district officials.

Following the highway crash around 9:35 p.m., the driver of the car died and four others, including three students, were hospitalized for their injuries, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) shared in a press release.

The bus was carrying students and staff from Abingdon High School, who were returning home to Virginia after a football game in Tennessee, when it was struck in the head-on collision, WJHL and The Roanoke Times reported.

The Subaru, which was traveling south, crossed the center line and struck the school bus on the front end at the intersection of the highway and Waters Road, the outlets reported, citing a preliminary Tennessee Highway Patrol crash report. According to the report, both vehicles came to rest in a ditch in the wake of the collision.

The Roanoke Times and WJHL identified the late Subaru driver, who was pronounced dead at the scene, as 35-year-old Douglas McMillan. He was the only person in the vehicle, according to the initial crash report.

The Washington County Public Schools (WCPS) said the school bus driver and three student athletes— who were hospitalized following the crash — did not suffer any major injuries, according to a statement obtained by both WJHL and The Roanoke Times.

“We are grateful there were no serious injuries and appreciate the first responders who assisted at the scene,” the school district said while notifying Abingdon High School families of the incident on Friday.

Another WCPS school bus was traveling with the one that was struck at the time of the crash, but it was not involved in the collision, The Roanoke Times reported, citing the school district.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol is investigating the crash, according to the JCSO.

The sheriff’s office also said that a second crash followed the initial collision between the Subaru and school bus, but there were no additional fatalities: “A secondary crash also occurred in connection with the initial incident. Minor injuries were reported, with a patient receiving treatment for those injuries.”

Following the fatal Johnson County collision on Friday, WCPS thanked first responders, Johnson County Public Schools and “everyone who responded and cared for our students and staff” in the wake of the “tragic accident.”

“Our students and staff were surrounded by people who cared for them, comforted them and helped ensure they made it safely home to their families,” the school district said, in part, in a statement,. “The offers of support and assistance from others were immeasurable. We are incredibly thankful to everyone who played a part in that effort.”

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“From an internal standpoint, our WCPS team stepped up and performed exceptionally in an unthinkable situation,” the WCPS statement continued. “Our bus drivers responded extraordinarily well and protected our students above all else. Our coaching staff managed the scene with precision and compassion. Parents at the scene provided invaluable assistance. Our WCPS athletic trainers, AHS Counseling staff and Highlands Community Services provided care and support to our students during and following the incident. Central Services and AHS administrators, along with School Board members, provided on-site and behind-the-scenes support to assist those on the front lines.”

The district also praised the student athletes involved in the crash, stating: “Our football squad did exactly what you would expect from a team: they rallied and took care of one another in a heartwarming display of brotherhood.”